My thoughts on the Phillies season.

The Phillies sweep the first place Marlins by crushing them, 13-2

For the first time in 2009, the Phillies took an early lead and held onto it, as they proceeded to sweep the first place Marlins by defeating them handily, 13-2. The victory place them in second place, a game and a half behind the now slumping fish in the National League East.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with runners on second and third, and with one man out, Ryan Howard hits an RBI bloop single into left field, scoring Shane Victorino, who had earlier walked, moved up to second base on Eric Bruntlett’s walk and had gone over to third on Chase Utley’s ground out, 3-unassistant, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while sending Bruntlett, who had earlier walk and had gone to second on Utley’s ground out, over to third. After Jayson Werth had walked, loading up the bases as Howard moved over to second, Raul Ibanez made it a 2-0 Phillies’ lead as he hits a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Bruntlett. In the fourth, the Phillies made it 4-0 when, with runners on second and third, and two men outs, Utley hits a two-run single, scoring Phillies’ starter Jamie Moyer, who had earlier singled and had gone over to third on Bruntlett’s double, and Bruntlett, who had earlier doubled. The Marlins would finally score a run in the fifth as, with runners on first and second, and two men out, Hanley Ramirez hits an RBI single, making it a 4-1 Phils’ lead, scoring Cody Ross, who had earlier singled, and had gone to second base on Burke Badenhop’s sacrifice bunt attempt, beating Chris Coste’s throw to second, while sending Badenhop, who had earlier been safe on his sacrifice bunt attempt, went over to second. Moyer would then get out of the inning by getting Jorge Cantu to fly out to left field on a spectacular catch by Ibanez. The Phillies finally broke the game wide open in the seventh. With runners on second and third, and one man out, Pedro Feliz hits a RBI single, easily scoring Werth, who had earlier reached base on a Jeremy Hermida’s two-base fielding error, ending up on second, and stealing third as part of a double steal with Ibanez, giving the Phils a 5-1 lead, while sending Ibanez, who had been intentionally walked and had stolen second, to third base, putting runners on the corners. Coste was then hit by the pitch, sending him to first, while Feliz moved up to second, loading up the bases. Pinch hitter Greg Dobbs then walks, forcing in Ibanez, making the score 6-1 Phillies, while Feliz and Coste both moved up a base, leaving the bases loaded. Victorino then broke the game wide open as he hits a two-run RBI single, giving the Phillies an 8-1 lead, as he scored both Feliz and Coste, while sending Dobbs over to second. The Phils added to their lead in the eighth. With the bases loaded, via a single to Howard, a walk to Werth and a single to Ibanez, Feliz hits an RBI single, making the score 9-1 Phils as Howard scored, while Werth and Ibanez moved up to third and second base, with no one out. After Coste strikes out, pinch hitter Matt Stairs took a walk, focing in Werth, and making it a 10-1 Phils’ lead, while both Ibanez and Feliz moved up a base, with one out. Victorino followed with a two-run double, knocking in both Ibanez and Feliz, while sending Stairs over to third, as he made it a 12-1 Phils’ lead. Bruntlett then knocked in the thirteenth and final Phils’ run with a sacrifice fly, scoring Stairs from third base. In the bottom of the ninth, Alfredo Amezega made the score 13-2 Phils, when, with a runner on third, and one out, he hits a sacrfice fly, scoring Ronny Paulino from third, who had earlier doubled and had gone to third on a J.A. Happ’s wild pitch, for the inning’s second out. Happ then struck out Cameron Maybin for the final out.

Jamie Moyer got the win, as he pitched six solid innings, giving up only one run on seven scattered hits and a walk, while striking out six. His record is now 3-1, tying him for the team’s lead in wins, while reducing his ERA to 5.09. His record against the Marlins is now 12-1. Chad Durbin pitched a scoreless inning, giving up no hits. J.A. Happ pitched two innings, giving up a run on one hit and a wild pitch, as he struck out three. The Phils’ pitching staff gave up no home runs in the game. Rookie Graham Taylor took the lost, being wild early, as he would only go three and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on four hits, six walks and a hit batter, as he struck out only two batters. His record is 0-1 with a 9.82 ERA. Burke Badenhop then pitched two and one-third scoreless innings, giving up only a hit and a walk, while he struck out two. Hayden Penn pitched an inning plus three batters, giving up seven runs, only six of which were earned, on four hits, three walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch, while he struck out two. Kiko Calero pitched an inning, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk, as he struck out a Phillie batter. Regular position player, Cody Ross, came in to pitched a scoreless ninth, giving up just a hit.

The Phillies had twelve hits in the game, with Pedro Feliz leading the team with three hits, all singles, as he raised his batting average to .298. Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard followed with two hits apiece, with one of Victorino’s hits being a double. Eric Bruntlett, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Jamie Moyer each recorded a hit, with Bruntlett’s hit being a double. Victorino knocked in four runs in the game, Utley and Feliz each knocked in two runs, while Bruntlett, Howard, Ibanez, Dobbs and Stairs each had an RBI. The Phils also gathered eleven walks in the game, along with two hit batsmen.

The Phillies (9-8, 2nd) comes back home to start a three-games series at Citizens Bank Park with the last place Nationals (4-13, 5th). The game will start at 7:05 pm Eastern. Joe Blanton (0-2, 7.31), will take the mound for the Phils, coming off his second straight lost, this one at the hands of the Brewers on April 22, as he pitched a quality start, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk, as he struck out five, in six innings of work, in the Phillies’ 3-1 lost. He will be looking for his first win of the year and his third straight quality start. The Nationals will countered with Shairon Martis (2-0, 4.11), who is coming off his second straight win against the Braves on April 21, as he pitched six strong innings, giving up only two runs on six hits and four walks, while he struck out two, in the Nationals’ 4-3 win. He will be going for his third straight victory of the season, his second against the Phillies. The Phils hope to increase their winning streak to four games.

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